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FROM THE “PRAETORIAN GARD” OF SKANDERBEG TO “MONARCHY GARD” OF KING AHMET ZOG.
 PROF. DR. Muharrem DEZHGIU
FROM THE “PRAETORIAN GARD” OF SKANDERBEG TO “MONARCHY GARD” OF KING AHMET ZOG.
In the authentic historical concept “Gard” has to do with a special unit, in the army structures, composed by chosen troops, who have as mission to protect and guard the highest political leaders of a country. Also, its forces are fated to honor the country in occasions of receiving high authorities from other interstate related countries.
Actually, according to the pyramidal structure of the Albanian National Army forces, established by its organic law of 24-th of June of 1928, has been accepted this day as the day of foundation of the Republic Gard. Certainly the decision which determine this foundation day, has taken in consideration the beginning and development of the Albanian state and its national Army, as a weapon of protection.
As a special arm of the military structures of a country, the Gard has followed the historical process of the beginning and development of the Albanian state. The history teaches that the Gard Unit has taken its own merits in accordance with the state functions.
So the foundation of the rapt state of Skanderbeg brings us the nomination “Praetorian Gard”. The Royal Gard, as called differently from the historiographers of Skanderbeg, has accomplished its historical mission in protecting the highest political and military leader of the Albanian state on the 15 century. But at the same time gave dignity and solemnity our National Hero in relationships with powerful nations, in receptions of the high personalities of those countries.
Even in Skanderbeg period, its Gard fulfilled military actions in support of the chieftain in difficult military situations, which determined the fate of the military operation in complex.
The size, composition and functions of the Skanderbeg Gard were in function of the tasks determined from its state. Its Gard which had over 2000 Albanians , selected from his Army, had the best qualities like bravery, fidelity, discipline, and the highest firmness. It had as task not only to protect the leadership but also to enter into crucial fights, in every situation ordered by the Commander.
With the high professional preparation and devotion to the leader, the troop of the Gard realized simultaneously the mission of the most proficient fighter, but also the most trusted guard of the Commander. This unit of the Army of Skanderbeg was impaste with conscience of pride to accomplish service duties for the protection of the life of the highest leaders of the state and the Albanian Armed Forces of that period.
The organization of the Skanderbeg Gard, as a special unit of its army like the qualities that its troops must have had, reflects a strong historic asset, in which was based the foundation of the Gard of the Albanian State, in accordance with the beginning and scale of its reinforcement. In this point of view on the experience of the Skanderbeg Gard of the 15 century can be searched the roots of the Gard, in the nowadays perceptions of this word and organization.
In the historical period of the Albanian National Renaissance which composite a glorious period of endurance and liberty fight of the Albanians against the Ottoman Empire, the Albanians Bond of Prizren was rise. It represent the first political-military intra national organization with a clear national platform, for a state organization in a national scale with an own army.
The National Comity of the Bond and the local comities realized the functions of the Temporary Government of Albania. In this view was established the creation of the Armed Forces, with the intent to create an Albanian National Army.
The massive proportions of this army would be achieved in voluntary base. If the objectives of the Albanians Bond of Prizren were to protect with its army the entirety of the Albanian lands, along with the Temporary Government short activity, would serve for the future patriots as a reference point its experience like how would be settled before the Great Powers “The Albanian Case”, as a serious problem in the “Troublous Balkan” .
In the Temporary Government, salient from the Albanians Bond of Prizren, among military structures, organized into Corps, brigades and regiments would take place a small formation, called Gard, which had as special mission “The guard of the Temporary Government”. This implicated the guarantee and security of the lives of government officials, local and central.
The forces of this structure, also called Çaush, which accomplished functional tasks close to a high functionary or a commander was equivalent with the tasks of an adjutant. The adjutant, as known, responds not only for the creation of normal conditions for work of the high functional, which its serves, but is always close to him as personal guard, for the guarantee of life.
The special troop of the Albanians Bond of Prizren, which took care of the guard and protection of the highest leaders of the Temporary Government and the highest Army Commanders, gladden the best moral, physical and patriotic qualities. The commander of this troop, who used to be Ramadan Zaskoci, possessed the best organizational and commanding qualities and the abilities to dominate the situation for the accomplishment of the duty with devotion.
With the interruption of the activity of the Albanians Bond of Prizren, as consequence the dismissal of the high organisms that it generate, stopped the functioning of the special troops as part of the Armed Forces of the Bond. Thus the guard of the directive personalities of the civil and military administration continued later on, but as part of the Empire structures. This occurrence was put in show from the English missionary Edith Durham.
Along his mission in the government offices in vilayets, E.Durham has had evidenced the strong and detailed measures of guard in those administrative premises. She was impressed from the movements and actions of the officers, messengers or employees during the ceremonial receptions , which shows the strong measures of guard and protection of the state high personalities and the organization of the ceremonial itself. She has put in evidence the most detailed occurrences of the Albanian guard service like the most chosen, most able physically and professionally, most devoted and with the cleanest moral figure .
E.Durham enhanced the qualities of the Albanian personnel who served in her guard and protection, as qualities bonded with their character. “They were to much loyal, hospitable, cordial, wonderful and respectable in eternity” . And the most important thing according to Durham, the Albanians served with absolute honesty, not for money, nor medals, like otherwise the Macedonians did with their leader.
With the Proclamation of the Independence of Albania and the creation of the Temporary Government of Vlora, under the direction of Ismail Bej Vlora, has had arrived the necessity of guard and protection of the high authorities of the Albanian state. The burden of the organization of the Ministry of National Defense was taken by the known Commander of the Albanians revolts of the 1910-1912, Mehmed Pashë Dërralla. As result of the furious military developments in Balkan, the Ambassador Conference in London impose on Albania the dismissal of the Temporary Government of Vlora and installed the direction of the country under the Great Power Administration, represented by the Prince Wilhelm fon Vid.
The Temporary Government of Vlora, among other things had the merit that concept and realized in practice, structures that has to do with the protection and national security. The foundation of the Ministry of War was very important. This ministry would fulfill the tasks of the General Command of the Armed Powers, which included the Honorary Military Gard. On the 23 November of 1912, when Ismail Qemali traveled from Durrës to Vlora, was accompanied to his road by an Honorary Military Gard, which protected that Statesman. This formation which accompanied Ismail Qemali with the functions he accomplished, showed the imperative elements of the Gard functions, not only of the guard and protection but also for the honorary ceremonial in relations that the Temporary Government of Vlora would create.
The personal bodyguard, chosen for the good physical abilities and for the high loyalty, have had done possible that Ismail Qemali accomplished the national historical mission and at the same time show to the world that the Albanian Government was serious even in ceremonial point of view.
In the frame of the Armed Forces of the Vlora Government, was part a special formation called “cavalry”. It accomplished the accompaniment of the high functionaries when they moved in different places also fulfilled ceremonial services. This armed special formation was called “State Gard”. The Temporary Government of Vlora paid attention to the forming and qualifications of this special troop, which would guard and escort starting from the State High Personalities, the missionary officers from Europe, up to the prefects appointed by the Government. .
After the Ambassador Conference in London decision in July the 13-nth of 1913, which established as Head of the Albanian State a foreign Prince, was considered natural an organization of the Special Forces for the guard of the State High Personalities. A special role in the organization of those special forces, with professional abilities, played foreign officers, especially Dutch, like the General Dewer and Colonel Thomson .
After the WWI finished the Albanian high state organs were derived from the National Congress of Lushnja. With the creation of the new state the presence of the Gard was clearer. This problem come to be clarified and improved even in the years of the political war 1921-1924. In this period showed up the role of Ahmet Zog in the opinions he gave according to the quality and criteria which the members of the Gard must had to fulfill.
The Albanian Prime Minister Ahmet Zogu, was bringing in the Ministry of Internal Affair attention, in October 1923, for the unethical use of the batman’s appointed to the Military and civilian high personalities offending though the dignity of the uniform and mission.
The Constitutional Assembly in 2 March 1925, approved the Basic Statue of the Republic, a document type, state western oriented. Creating a two room Parliament (Senate and the Common Room) the Assembly had declared Albania a Parliamentary Republic. At the same time the Basic Statue gave to the President a strong power, which it meant that Albania de facto was a Presidential. The President, elected every 7 years, realized the control over the government, the Senate and the administration. The President commanded the armed forces with the power to nominate and expulse from the Army the high officers .
The problem of the role and weight of the Gard become more showed up in year 1925, when in the state budget a supplementary fond for the monthly recompenses for the Gard officers according to ranks. Meantime in an official document of 15 April 1925, is stressed that for the personal guard of the President and for the organization of the state formal rituals which belongs to the Head of Republic, was formed the Presidential Gard Company. Its Commander used to be Lieutenant Hysen Selmani. In its composition were 17 officers and Nco’s and 169 gendarmes .
In years 1926-1927 the battalion of Presidential Gard was composed of 25 officers, 106 nco’s and 488 soldiers . Meantime the Presidential Band was composed from civilians who reached the number of 54 people . Along with the increase of the forces which composed the Republic Gard were taken some measures for the evaluation of the role of the cadres who served in the Presidential Gard. In the 13.11.1927 the decree of the Head of Republic was proclaimed, on bases of the Decision of the Counsel of Ministers date 3.06.1927, for an monthly recompense of the Presidential Gard Commander (150 gold francs), for the Gard captains (120 gold francs), for the Presidential Gard first lieutenants (100 gold francs) for the second lieutenants (60 gold francs) and for the warrant officers of the Presidential Gard (40 gold francs) .
Within the year 1925 was founded the Adjutant office of the President of the Republic of Albania which had as duty to control the fulfillment of the service of protection from the Gard Company. With the creation of this full structure, with specific tasks, where shows up the role of the President of the Republic, Ahmet Zogu, can be said that the Republic Gard was founded based on the best experience of the modern state organization and on the Albanian tradition of the protection of the Personalities.
The gardists of the Republic were distinguished in first, for the devotion to the national cause, but also for the ethic and professional qualities, required for the accomplishment of the mission in the protection of the State High Personalities. An example of this devotion to the duties was made from the adjutant Llesh Topallaj, who gave his life when an attempted attack was made to the King in Wienn, Austria.
The uniform of the gardist distinguished from the pure Albanian elements and symbols, like the towheads eagle or, the black and red stripe, elements which increased the responsibility for the fulfillment of the task but also, increased the dignity and authority of their figures, in the ensemble of the Armed Forces .
The National Gard has accomplished its service leaning to the National Flag and has showed, qualities and characteristics which compose the foundation of the Albanian character, like fidelity, bravery, persistence, keeping of the given word, faith and honor which, was considered divine and has been made vestal.
The member of the National Gard made the basic of its combative and moral code the trinomial: Believe! Obey! Combat! . Understanding the essence of its motivation in the fulfillment of the task, the National Gard has become a respectable and exemplary formation, a reference point of other structures of the Armed Forces.
The historic path, in which the foundation of the Albanian state has passed, composes the creation of the Gard as an inevitable structure for the guard and reinforcement of the state. This historic experience would have served as foundation for the establishment of the Gard, as a complete formation, in the view of organization, qualification, mission and fulfillment of the special duties .
The Decree law of 24 June of 1928 of the Albanian Government constitutes an organic law for the Armed Forces, where the Gard was part. According to the article 75 of the Statue the Gard Command was part of the High Commands which were: the Active Division Command, the Reserve Division Command, three Commands, Artillery Groups, an Artillery Command, a Command of Engineer Troop and a Navy Command .
From the Gard Command where depend the Gard battalion, the Gard battery and Presidential Band .
The Decree law of 24 June of 1928 constitute the first authentic document where is defined the notion of the Gard and the composition which this notion take, in this historic moment of the institutionalization of the modern Albanian state.
In the infantry battalion of the Gard were 4 companies. From the Gard Command depended an artillery battery with 4 cannons 75/13 mm, which were used for the protocol moments and festive situations.
The Presidential Band or the Orchestra troop was composed of civilians but, was organized and directed from the Gard Command. Beside this, from the Gard Command depended a cavalry platoon, which served to escort the President of Republic, when he went on horse ride. According to studies for the role of Ahmet Zogu, for the stability of the Albanian state the platoon of cavalry was called “The Cavalry Detachment” .
Though, the approval of this important decree law, of the 24 June of 1928, signs in fact the birthday of the Republic Gard. This is an appreciation of this historic fact, as a respect and particular appreciation for this trusty formation which played an important role in the normal functioning of the Albanian state. This appreciation of the Gard personnel would be expressed in the monthly financial wage adjustment. So according to the law of 2.7.1928 for the knights of the Gard was established a reward of 10 gold francs for every month.
In the frame of the perfection and reinforcement of the Albanian state in September the first of 1928, Albania was declared “Hereditary Parliamentary Democratic Monarchy”. This decision was taken from the Second Constitutional Assembly. According to this decision the President of the Republic, simultaneously Head of the Government, was declared “King of the Albanians”. The change in the regime form, staying the same political person on the head of the state, would have increased more the dignity of this state in international interrelation. The prestige of Albania would take notable size to the neighbors and cooperative countries. Of course in this direction played a role the approval and application of the Basic Statue of the State, or the Monarchy Constitution.
The approval of the Basic Statue of the Albanian Monarchy was done by the Constitutional Assembly on the first of December of 1928. Component and normative part of this basic document was the structure of the National Army and Gendarmerie.
The Monarchy Gard was part of the Land Forces. It had the weight and role for the functions and special tasks it accomplished, affecting notably in the modern and contemporaneous formatting of the Albanian state. On the seriousness and national performance of the unit of the Albania Monarchy Gard, was seen, from the foreign officials as an important part of the effort made from the Albanian King for the stability of the country and the firmness to align his country in the line of civilized states of Europe.
Laws and other sub legal acts, deriving after him, for the diffraction and execution of the Basic Statue of the Monarchy, in a natural way, brought improvements in the organization of the Armed Forces, nonetheless in the Monarchy Gard. The new law for “The organization of the Armada Power” of 27 November of 1929 put the National Army under the Command of National Defense previously called Command of Armada Power.
The Gard, now denominated “Monarchy Gard”, had this structure: The Gard Command, a company, one squadron of cavalry and the musical band.
From the Monarchy Gard Command depended an infantry battalion in composition of which was part: 21 officers, 37 nco’s, 412 gardists. The artillery battery dependent from the Gard Command was composed of: 4 officers, 10 nco’s and 138 soldiers. In their service they had 9 load animals and 4 cannons.
The law of 27 November of 1929 made some specifications for the nco’s ranks, though in the cavalry squadron the ranks were as follows: soldier, lance corporal, corporal. .
Notable personalities of the period didn’t hesitate to display the increase of the authority of Albania, as result of the measures taken in Albania for the reinforcement of the state.
Faik Konica appreciate that Albania is the most regular country in the Balkan area (1929 – MD.), regarding the tranquility and social security, that Albanians are noble and that they are taking a new power between an enthusiastic altogether work. Moreover the Armed Forces (included the Republic Gard) from an outside view and for the quality of accomplishment of tasks, express a new contemporaneous wind . Referring to the role of the Albanian King in those achievements he would stress that, A. Zogu “has served as a nation unification factor, reinstalling the order after the anarchy, saving the country from the absence of law, and the outlaws” .
The perfection of the organization of the ceremonial service and the guard of the State High Personalities is bind and determined with the growth of the military identity.
On the other side, the legislation for the reinforcement of the Armed Forces in the years of Monarchy started the opportunities for the officers to have some privileges, especially the social ones.
In the new law “On the organization of the Armed Powers” of the 27 November of 1929 to every officer who would get married were given a dowry of 6000 gold francs. Also the officer would be covered on the rent expenses. Every new officer for the nomination or the renomination was given an immediate recompense from 125 gold francs.
The personnel of the Monarchy Gard, with a special law, were excluded from the dispositions of the Article 3 of the law on wages . According to this law the personnel of the Monarchy Gard wasn’t charged of the tax of 1 gold franc at day when they were at leave. Apparently to this structure was dedicated a special attention for the economic and social problems.
In this way the Monarchy Gard, became more and more a prestigious unit and with more responsibilities in their motivation for the task accomplishment. For the Kings gardists moral the service he was fulfilling was considered: honor, glory, and obligation .
The structure of the Monarchy Gard was reorganized and improved according to the circumstances and functions designated to be done. Though based in the decree law of 30 June of 1931, the structure of Gard was composed of: the Command, a company and a squadron . With such a structure the idea was that the Gard would be more effective and operational. Meantime more attention was stressed to the fulfillment of ceremonial tasks of Gard. Though many officers of the Monarchy Gard had real opportunities to be qualified and specialized in foreign schools, especially in Italy. In this way the Monarchy Gard has taken its distinctive frames for everything was notable in the Armed Forces.
The approval of the Military Criminal Code and the law for the Status of the Officers of the 19 June 1932, compose an important moment on the increase of the Monarchy Gard responsibility on the task accomplishment. Now the responsibility of the gardists was submitted to a legal code, increasing its conscience in the special mission he had.
Generally was said that the personnel of the Monarchy Gard were loyal to the King. Starting from this opinion, some scholars has rash to express that “The escort troops to the Head of the Albanian state in this time were composed entirely of his loyal Mati people” . Lead from the national concepts for the construction of the new Albanian state and for the stability in Albania of King Zog, the above mentioned point of view according to which the Monarchy Gard “was composed entirely of his loyal Mati people” seems to much assertive and not based in the domestic documents, that the author hasn’t utilized.
Starting from the representative composition of the state offices and the administration of the Albanian Monarchy, which didn’t have regional distinctions, the same thing can be said for the structure of the Monarchy Gard. Although can’t be excluded a larger support and protection from the Mati people, included here the tradition of a close acquaintance of the King.
Dependent on the political situation and international relationships, especially relationships between Italy and Albania, when they had flaws, this would be reflected on the Monarchy Gard structure. Maybe this would have been the reason that the personnel of the Monarchy Gard in year 1934, has had an increase in size. In year 1935 the Gard battalion generally with 380 people, increase up to 510 people. Whereas the quantity of the officers and nco’s of the Monarchy Gard was of 178 people .
In the years ’30 of the Albanian Monarchy, the state undertook further measures which vent in favor to the solution of the social problems of the military, especially of the Monarchy Gard personnel. This thing was materialized in the law for the increase on the pensions for the military, or when they had been released prior of the pension age. These and other measures in the direction of the social attention for the Gard personnel, played a role in the highest devotion during their task accomplishment.
The improvement of legislation for the Army impacted in a visible way on the Monarchy Gard, which was conceived and acted in the interest of the country, honor and flag. During the accomplishment with dignity of its mission and a strong feeling of patriotism, personalities and characters of the Monarchy Gard were distinguished. Like was, for more than 13 years, Colonel Hysen Selmani. He strongly impacted with his authority, that the Gard personnel create the physiognomy and the best image, being able to accomplish the tasks. With his contribute Hysen Selmani made possible that the Monarchy Gard accomplished only the tasks specified in laws, in service of the country, putting the Monarchy Gard in the elite of the other structures of the Armed Forces.
Monarchy Gard which was perfection in organization, equipped with technique and contemporaneous tools which constitute enough premises for the mission accomplishment, guarantied the application with devotion of it’s swear: Believe! Obey! Combat!
The oath, of the gardists was divine for all who had taken the decision to fulfill the duty in the Monarchy Gard structure.
It can be said with no hesitation that in the historic contest the Albanian Gard was found, organized and consolidated as a special, modern structure in the period of 1925-1939.
The loyalty of the Monarchy Gard to the personality of the King as legitimate representative of the Albanian state sovereignty, was shown after the Italian fascist aggression on Albania on 7 April 1939. The Monarchy Gard escort and protect the King Zog on his long trip on the years of WWII and after that. The loyal of this Gard became witness of the vicissitudes of the Albanian King in the protection of the sovereignty of the Albanian state and its legitimacy as legitimate King. The protection and support given to the King Zog in exile, was a legitimacy testimony of the continuity of the Albanian Monarchy, independently that the neighbors of Albania and the Great Powers did everything they could to not know this legitimacy.
The names of Colonel Hysen Selmani, like other gardist’s names as Allaman Çupi etc. who accompanied A. Zogu as King until his death, are an important part not only of the Albanian monarchy and of his Gard, but also are part of the national history of Albania.
National Gard of Albania as a structure would be formatted after WWII, when in Albania would be set up the communist dictatorship. The organization, tasks and functions will be paled their national character. The State Gard, as a formation which protected the high structures of a dictatorial state, took a clear political and class character, transformed in to a part of the police mechanism of the communist state.
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